Ecological aspects of Phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) and the transmission of American cutaneous leishmaniasis agents in an Amazonian/ Guianan bordering area

This research was financially supported by the IEC and by the Programa de Apoio ? Publica??o Qualificada (Edital 01/2018 PROPESP/UFPA) Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Biologia de Agentes Infecciosos e Parasit?rios. Bel?m, PA, Brazil / Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Universit? de Guyane.D?partement de M?decine, Ecosystemes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale. Labex CEBA. Cayenne, French Guiana. Universit? de Guyane.D?partement de M?decine, Ecosystemes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale. Labex CEBA. Cayenne, French Guiana. Funda??o Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Sa?de Publica S?rgio Arouca. Laborat?rio de Imunodiagn?stico. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Biologia de Agentes Infecciosos e Parasit?rios. Bel?m, PA, Brazil Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Biologia de Agentes Infecciosos e Parasit?rios. Bel?m, PA, Brazil / Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil / Funda??o Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laborat?rio Interdisciplinar de Vigil?ncia Entomol?gica em Diptera e Hemiptera. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Background: An entomological study was conducted in the municipality of Oiapoque (lower Oyapock River Basin) in the Brazilian side bordering French Guiana to gain information on the transmission pattern of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in that region, presumed to reflect the classical Amazonian/Guianan enzootic scenario. Methods: Three ecologically isolated forested areas near urban environments were surveyed during the rainy and dry seasons of 2015 and 2016, using a multi-trapping approach comprising ground-level and canopy light traps, black and white colored cloth Shannon traps and manual aspiration on tree bases. Female phlebotomines were dissected to find infections and isolate flagellates from Leishmania spp. The strains were characterized by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and compared with those of local ACL cases and World Health Organization reference strains. Results: Nyssomyia umbratilis, Trichopygomyia trichopyga and Evandromyia infraspinosa were the most frequently found species. Findings on relative abundance, spatiotemporal vector/ACL congruence, natural infections and anthropophilic insights strengthened the Guianan classical transmission of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis by Ny. umbratilis and suggested further investigations for Ev. infraspinosa. Nyssomyia umbratilis showed an eclectic feeding habit, including bird blood. Ecological data and literature reports also included Psychodopygus squamiventris maripaensis and Bichromomyia flaviscutellata on the list of suspected vectors. Conclusions: These findings contributed to understanding ACL ecoepidemiology in the Amazonian/Guianan scenario. Local studies are required to better comprehend the Leishmania spp. enzootic mosaic in specific ecotopes.